The Market Vectors Wide Moat ETF (NYSEArca: MOAT) has crossed the $500 million in assets under management level, an impressive feat given that MOAT will not celebrate its second anniversary until late April.
To be precise, MOAT had $545.2 million in AUM as of Jan. 8. MOAT gained over 30% last year and has been highlighted as an easy way for investors to gain exposure to a basket of companies with deep competitive advantages, one of the virtues extolled by value investing legend Warren Buffett. The fund has accumulated nearly $100 million in new assets since late October 2013. [Better to Stick With MOAT Than Its Holdings]
Although MOAT frequently makes anywhere from four to nine additions and deletions to its portfolio at each quarterly rebalance, the fund made no capital gains distributions last year, according to Market Vectors.
“The ETF structure is well-suited for this highly-dynamic and concentrated index methodology,” said Brandon Rakszawski, Product Manager for Market Vectors ETFs, in a statement. “We have seen continued interest in the fund, much of which can be attributed to the appeal of Morningstar’s equity research process.”
MOAT currently holds 21 stocks on an equal-weight basis. In addition to owning shares of Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK-B), MOAT holds two stocks that are found in Berkshire’s equity portfolio – Dow components International Business Machines (NYSE: IBM) and Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO).
Last year, MOAT outpaced shares of three Berkshire equity holdings that were found in the ETF’s portfolio late in the year. [Wide Moat ETF Tops Its Buffett Holdings]